In addition to his new full-time role with Trackhouse Racing's NASCAR Cup Series team, Connor Zilisch continues to compete part-time in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series with JR Motorsports, the team with which he won 10 races and advanced to the Championship 4 as a rookie a year ago.
The 19-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native has made two starts so far this season. After his first start at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) was a frustrating one in which contact from Corey Day left him thinking about what might have been, he placed seventh this past weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which was the highlight of a weekend which unfortunately saw him drop to last in the Cup Series point standings with a 32nd place result.
This weekend at Darlington Raceway, Zilisch is set to focus squarely on Sunday's Goodyear 400 Cup Series race, and it is Carson Kvapil who is set to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet instead.
Connor Zilisch replacement confirmed for Darlington
Kvapil and Zilisch have split time in the No. 1 car so far this season, although Kvapil remains a full-time driver. In additional to his three races in the No. 1 Chevrolet thus far, highlighted by a season-best finish of third place at Phoenix Raceway, he also drove JR Motorsports' fifth car, the part-time No. 9 Chevrolet, this past weekend at Las Vegas.
He also has a part-time deal to compete for DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports, allowing him to maintain his status as a full-time driver and championship contender. He competed in his first race behind the wheel of the No. 91 Chevrolet at COTA.
Heading into this weekend's race at Darlington, Kvapil is fifth in the point standings, placing him 69 points above the playoff cut line and 66 points behind teammate and points leader Justin Allgaier. The 22-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina native, who qualified for the Championship 4 a year ago, is still seeking his first O'Reilly Series victory.
After finishing 19th and 14th at Darlington as a part-time driver for JR Motorsports in 2024, he placed fifth in the lone race there a year ago.
As for Zilisch, his next scheduled O'Reilly Series start isn't until the race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 11. Kvapil is expected to be in the No. 1 car for the upcoming races at Martinsville Speedway and Rockingham Speedway before then, and he is set to shift back to the No. 9 car at Bristol.
His next scheduled start in the No. 91 car isn't until the race at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, May 9.
Saturday's Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 is set to be shown live on the CW Network from Darlington Raceway starting at 5:30 p.m. ET, so start a free trial of FuboTV today if you have not already done so and catch all of the action from the South Carolina track!